Liberalism vs. Conservatism

Trace Adkins, country singer and author of the book "A Personal Stand," made the comment: "Liberalism has less morals, but is more civil, and Conservatism has more morals, but is less civil." Later going on to state that he did not see one better than another.

This left me to ponder: Which of the two do I truly see as the lesser evil?

I stand by many Conservative beliefs, such as the ban on gay marriage, pro-life, and other topics such as immigration and affirmative action. Thus, I label myself as a "Classic Conservative" or traditional. But still, what do I find as the greater importance. Having strong morals, but not caring much for the rest of the community, or having a lack of morals, but with a strong look on said community?

Growing up in liberal home such as mine, I grew up with a strong... attraction, I should say to the Clinton administration. (I was born shortly before his term.) But as my sister grew up, she realized she didn't quite see eye to eye with our parents when it came to politics. Tasha registered as Republican. Her actions lead to my parents realizing, they too, as they aged, agreed more with conservative stances.

Now I go through my teen years in a very conservative family. Being as my family shaped and molded my views today (Adding to my filters of Religion, Education, etc.) But now I find myself having to decide whether or not I actually agree with them.

This year in school, I basically have an entire day devoted to politic discussions and learnings. Mr. Fountain does a phenomenal job of conveying both sides of the political spectrum, and doing it very eloquently. I've had to spend much time drawing a line in the sand of what mattered to me and what convictions lead me to believe what. I did a paper earlier about my stance on Genetic Engineering and whether or not the government should place greater restrictions on it. I also had to give my opinion on immigration and God in the classroom. This has been so great for me to actually spend time, not only researching what other people believe and say on such topics, but spending time in personal meditation. I had to put in front of me what mattered and what I saw as important to me.


Now, back to my original topic. Liberalism vs. Conservatism. Which one should actually be seen as the "right" choice.

Liberal: Favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

Conservative: Disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

When going by these definitions, I strongly agree with the latter. I love ways of old. Traditional values just seemed to bring about a more desirable time in our past. Strong morals, and good sense of right from wrong. A neighbor would help their neighbor. Christian values were instilled in children, who later grew up to lead strong Christian families. A beautiful thing. Something I am definitely for.

So I think the idea of Conservatism not being civil is something that has come up as of recently. The past century or so. Could it be all the technology the human race invented in this time period? Or maybe just a simple change of culture brought upon by the differences in parenting skills and what have you? Either way, it's extremely evident that today's culture has taken a steep decline as far as morals go. A man can go on the Internet and in 3 clicks or less can open a world of pornography. Bombarded with disgusting and filthy images of naked women, none of which is the beautiful and cherished body of his wife. A woman now has the right to murder her child just because she hasn't physically seen it yet. Having sex out of wedlock is now seen tolerable. I have known people who even in 5 grade (being the age of 10 and 11) and are having sex. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying sex is a horrible thing. I'm not saying that all. I look forward to the day I will be able to share that with the man of dreams. That man being my husband.

Okay, so that went more off into the world of morals, and not civics. But I believe the lack of morals has lead to the degrade of civility. We no longer hold family values as important. Half the population of America is divorced. 4 out of 10 children are born out of wedlock. 40% of our children don't have committed parents. In 2002 1.29 million abortions took place in America alone. Now, with children growing up in broken homes, where parents don't love each other, a child's life is not seen as a precious gift, and mother and/or father bring home a new lover every night, why would they honestly care for the well being of everyone else, when their own lives are failing miserably? Children are growing up in a world with a "Depend on everyone else, only to help yourself" type of mentality.

So, as of now, I will still consider myself the tradition conservative. Happy to be. Because I hold morals strong in my heart. But, I also try to help the world around me. For that's what God has made me to do. I plan on raising a family with a husband, in a commited and over the top loving family. I plan on having children who will carry on with my values and views, so that they may lead a world that God has planned.